Electric contact device.



A.`A. KENT. ELECTRIC CONTACT DBVTGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 7, 1908.

Patented June 2, 1914A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wlrNEssE ATTORNEY MT5/M A. A. KENT.

ELECTRIC CONTACT Dimm;A

Patented J une 2, 1914.

' WITNESSES vices in which are positively ATWATER KENT, OF PHILADELPHIA1PENNSYLVANIA..

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KENT, a citizen of the United States, andresident ofthe city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric ContactDevices, of which the following is a full, clear, and completedisclosure, refer` ence being had to the accompanying dravvings, formingpart ofthis ,spcciiication My invention relates to electric Contactdevices andgespeciallyto that kind of dethe circuit is closed and thenbroken by, mechanical'means, the same beingpartcularly adapted for usein ,opsnin and `elosirigtliesparking circuit of internacombustaonengines, but my invention is not tofbeconstrued as beinglimited to such use s inasmiiclrns it may'be used wherever it isdesirable .to mechanically make and break a circuit. f

One object'of my invention is toprovide a device inivvhich. both ofthev` contact points .ginoved in one direction,l ut with the ,vpoint'sout of contact with each other,`ai1d stehlen suddenly moved in adifferent origreverse. direct-ion and returned to their originnlposition, and my invention contemplatesjthe closing and breakingr et the`circuit. during the second or reverse movement of said contact points.

A further object of my invention is to the contact points, or thesupportupon which one of said Contact Ypoints is inounted,'with means tomove that contact point into engagement with the other movable contactpoint, for predetermined length of time and then to suddenly separatesaid points, the speed at which the circuit is closed and broken again,and consequently the time or duration of the closure of the circuit,being uniform irrespective of thespeed at which the mechanisni on whichsaid device is mounted and by which it is operated, is moving.

A further object of my invention is to make the ctiective Weight of oneof the contact points` greater than that of the other, so'that theclosure of the circuit is con trollosl or ,governed by the lag or t'ncretai-ding of the movement of the weighted contact point, at thebeginning of its movenient in a changed or different direction, due toth(` inertia of said contact point.

A further object of my invention is to Specication of Letters Patent.Application med December 7, 1908.

breaking of the same, 'tion of sai-dl parts, and'conserqucntly the timea definite Patented Junge, 1914.

smania. 466,233.

structure, se that they may be removed together to repair, adiust orreplace any of the parts thereot` without disturbing the other iai-tsofthe contact mechanism.

A Anrther Aobject of use -a constant, unvarying force, such as 'themomentum or inertia of the moving parts, o r of :one of the contactcarrying or supporting members, as'the force to control the closure ofthe circuit and the. subsequent and to make the operaaiid character ofthe closure of the circuit,

Aconstant ,and uniform.

A further objectof myinvention is to make the` movablen parts of myvContact device light, simple and Acompact, so that they ivill becapableof quick, certain and positive movement.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification andclaims below. t'

In theV drawings, forming a part of the specification in which the samepart is designated by the same reference character throughout theseveral my invention is shown on a greatly enlarged scale; Figure 1 is alongitudinal, sectional view of one form of my improved Contact device,Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same device showing the position whichthe contact points assume during lthe different or changed or reversemovement; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the lifter and parts`mounted thereon the section beingv taken ou the line 3-3 of Fig. i;andvFig. 4 is a modified ,form of Contact device embodying myinvent-ion. v

liotatably mounted in a plate 'cr standard l and connected with androtated from any suitabic source of motion, as for example the driveshaft of an internal combustion cn- `gine, is a shaft 2, upon which ismounted a caio 3, normally driven in the direct-ion of the arrow 4. Aisomounted upon the base or standard l is a suitable pivot pin or support.5 about; which as a center thc lifter G is adapted to be oscillatcd bythe Cam 4,

views, and inwhich.

l mount both contact points upon a single my invention is to which is inengagement with the opposite the cam 3. The lifter 6 is preferably helddown upon and against the pivot pin and the support 7 by a spring 8, oneend of 5 which 1s connected to a stud or pin 9 on the support or plate1, and the other end of which is attached to any suitable fastening .Tdevice, as to an eye 10 attached to a plate 11, "Supported Von saidlifter 6 but insulated m therefrom byfarsheetl of insulating material12.' fUpon the'fopposite side of the lifter,6,

' i andlvongitudinally of each side thereof, are

arranged: suitable insulating plates 13 and 14, above which, and restingupon the same, is Va'plate-lf This plate 15,15 adapted to carry theresilient .arm or support 16 for the contact point 17. :A This resilientarm or support lrmay be 'secured'to-the plate. 15 in any.suitable'manner, but I prefcrto clamp :o the end of lsaidarml towsaidplate by screws-19 passingthrough a clamping plate ;`.l8,.andthencethrough the' resilient arm 16 into .theplate.15. The plate11"theinsu1ating pIate'QI-rtheupperfinsulating .plates 13 "fmdilnd'fhUPPel-Plte; .15 lare'filfil'y Sethe lifterl l by fscewspassing .thelifter 6, and-,for thatpurp'ose I have pro-A vided`the-lift'ei-gfrwitlifienlarged holesA 21 throughjwhich saidscrews -20pass.A Upon the top'. ofthe lifterllfinount. the resilient firm @Support22, fertile Contact peint 23, and I similarly clamp -onefnd of said arm22 .ftfthe lifter A6 byjmearsof the clamping .plate 24, andthe screws 25passing through saidclamping plate 24, and said resilient arm22 and intothelite'r 6. From this construction it will be seen that th'resilientarms16 and 22 normally lie for. substanrtially their whole length uponthe platesl 'i and j' the lifter G-Vrespectively, and consequently theyare prevented from freely vibrating'in any manner other than that required by the operation of my device, as will be explained below.

' I prefer to make the inertia of the free -end o f the, support 22 for`the contact int 23 considerably greater than that o the other contactpoint 17, and for this purpose adjacent the-contact point 23, I providethe free end of. the arm 22 with a weight '26,'

which normallyvrests upon the offset outer end portion 6 of the lifter6. l j From the above it will he seen that the arm 22 and the weight 26mounted thereon" form a member. er support,`having a considerable massor weight, upon which .the contact point 23 is mounted or carried.

It will also helapparent from the above description that the resilientarm 16, and 'the contact point 17 carried thereby, are iin snlated fromthe lifter 6, but by reason f the metallic engagement of the arm 16,plete 15, screws 20, and lower. plate 1'1, the sai'd contact point 17 iselectrically connected Y with the lower plate 11 -and also with thcspring 8.

The stud or pin 9 is electrically insulated from the base plate 1 by aninsulating block 9. I have indicated diagrammatically a battery 27,onepolc of which is grounded to the machine by being connected with thebase 1. and consequently with the contact point 23, and the other poleof which 'is connected to the stud or 'pin 9 and hence through thespring '8, eye 10, and screws 20 with the contact point 17.

The operation of my device is as follows: Motion being communicated tothe shaft 2 Ato rotate the cam 3 in the direction of the arrow 4, theouter or free end ofthe lifter 6 is first carried upwardly and away fromthe pin or support 7, the whole structure tum ing about the pivot pin 5as an ax'Ls` This movement of the lifter 6 also carries with it thecontact points 17 and 23the same being rigidly carried by reason of theengagement of the resilient arms 16 and V22 with vthe plate 15 and thelifter 6 respectively, and the contact points 17 and 23, during thispart of their movement, are thus normally heldout of engagement witheach other. As the cam 3 rotates further the free end of the lifter 6'drops downwardly as the cut away portion must be constant orinvariable,4 the movement being effected by the constant force, thetension ofthe spring 8, absolutely independently of the speed of the,shaft 2.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my device in the position which it assumesimmediatelyafter its release from the high point on the cam during itsdownward movement under vthe influence of the. spring 8. This downwardmovement of the lifter 6 being very rapid, and the resilient contactcarrying arm 16 being very light, the contact point 17 follows veryrapidly the downward movement of the lifter 6. With the Weighted Contactpoint 23,'4xowever, there is a lag or retardation at th'ebeginning ofthe downward movement of the said contact point 23, that; is to say, onaccount of the inertia of the weighted contact point 23, that contactpoint does not at first move downwardly so rapidly as the contact point17. The resilient arm or support 22 for the contact point 23 allows thislag or retardation of the movement of the contact'point 23 andconsequently during the first prtof the downward movement thetwo'contact'p'ints 17 and ,23' are for la. moi i iso gagement theyremain until the contact point 23 has acquired the same speed as' thecontact point 17. At this point, however, the resiliencyof the arm 22comes into efect and accelerates the downward movement of the contactpoint 23, thus suddenly effecting a breaking of the circuit by themovement of the contact points out of engagement with each other. It mayhere also be noticed that the weight of the contact point 23 may,moment-arily, lift the resilient arm 1G away from the plate 15 and thusproduce a slight dwell in the engagement of the contact points andconsequently@ slightly prolonged engagement of the contact points and acorrespondingly prolonged closure of the circuit. This is shown plainlyin Fig. 2, wherein the resilient arm A16 is slightly forced -away fromits supporting plate 15. When the said arm 16 is so forced away from itssupporting plate 15, the tension of the resili-l ent arm 16 actsagainst, and supplementary to the tension of, the spring arm 22 andproduces a more rapid movement of the arm 22 and the-parts carriedthereby than would result if the arm 16 were not resilient. The effeetof this sfthatwhen under the combinedv tension of the arms 16 and 22,the Contact point 23 is about to move out of engagement with the contactpoint 17 ,p the end of the arm 22 is moving `quite rapidly, and theContact points 17 and 23 are separated or moved out of operativeengagement `with each other very quickly and sharply. Thus a veryrapid'breaking of the circuit isreffected.

I have shown the spring 8 as the lifter (3 through the eye 10 and plate11 in such a manner as to tend to draw the lifter 'longitudinally in thedirection of the cam 3 seas to holdthe litter 6 firmly against the pivotpin while at the same time the said springlalso exerts tension to drawthe free end of the lifter G down against its supporting pin 7 at theinstant it is released from the high point on the cani 3. It desirable,however, I may provide an auxiliary spring 28 having one end attached tothe lifter G and its other end secured to a pin 20 carried by the baseor support 1.

lVhen for any reason thecazm is revolved in the reverse direction, it isdesirable to have the lifter moved out of the way ot the cani 3 withoutclosing the circuit through the contact points 17 and 23. The strnctun`above described is ully,capable of such movement because when the flatface 3 of the cam resses against the end of the lifter G,v the w olestructure, that is to' say, the litter G and the parts carried thereby,will be .forced longitudinally to the right of the position'shown inFig. V1, the said lifter and -the parts carried thereby sliding on thepivot pin 5 and the support 7, and when the flat tace 3 of the cam hasbeen moved below the end 6 of the lift-er 6, the whole structureattached tol will be quickly drawn back to the position shown in Fig. 1under the influence of the r tension of the spring 8, and if the spring28 is used, by lsaid spring 28.

parent that when .direction of the arrow 4 the lifter and the partscarried thereby will be oscillated about the pivot 5, but when the camis driven in 3 the reverse direction the lifter and the parts 'carriedthereby will reciprocate longitudi na'lly on the pins 5 and 7.

' In the modilication shown in Fig. 4 the same results are attained butthe structure is slightly different. In this form the litter 30 ismounted to oscillate upon the pin 3l when the cam 32 is rotated in thedirection of the 4arrow 33, the said lifter 30 also resting upon the pin34, down upon which it is held by the spiral spring 35. having one endattached to a hook 36 carried by the lifter 30 land its other end'fastened to a pin- 3T carried by the base 38. In this case also anauxiliary spring A39. may be employed, saidfspring haring one endattached to the lifter 30 and the othertoa pin 40 carried 'by the-base38. Upon the lilfter 30 I mount a suitableI block or support 41 carryinga plate 42 against w h the resilient arm 43 of the contact" poi t 44 isadapted to be held and pressedby a clamping plate 45, the said plate 45,arm 43, plate 42, and block 41 beino rigidly secured to by suitablescrews 4G. ln this case the other contact point 47 is carried by aresilient arm 48, rigidly secured at one end to a block 49 hy screws 50,a sheet or plate of insulation 51 being interposed between the end ofsaid arm 48 and said block 49. The outer end of said resilient arm 48 isprovided with a weight 52 rigidly secured to the free end of said arm inany suitable manner, but insulated therefrom by a plate of insulation53. The tension ot' said arm 48 is so arranged as to malte the weightcarried by the free end of said arm normally press .lirmly a'gainst theplate 54, rigidly secured to the lifter 30 immediately beneath saidWeight. tery 55 is shown as having one pole grounded to the machine bybeing connected with the plate 38 and the other pole connected to saidresilient arm 4 When the cam 32 is rotated in the direction of the arrow33, both contact points are moved upwardly but out of contact with eachother, but Whenythe free end of the lifter 30 drops from the highestpoint of the cam 32 down against its seat or stop pin 34, the weightedcontact point 47 will lag, that is to say, it will not start on itsdownward movementv so quickly as the lighter Contact point 44, and a.closure on the breaking otI the circuit will be effected in the sameinanner as that described in connection with the torni of my deviceillustrated in Figs. l, 2

The bat-- the lifter 30 lll -and 3. In this modified form a reversal ofthe movement of the cam will oseillate ,the lifter and the parts carriedtherebyv on the supporting pins 31 and 34, but without bringing thecontact points into engagement with each other.

.While I have described twostruetu'res in which my invention isembodied, I do not wishto construed 'as being limited to. the exactforms abovelshown'and described, inasmuchas my invention is capableofheingfembodied in -many forms. g Having thus-fully described-myinvention, I elaimand desire to secureby Letters Pat- .ent of the UnitedStates :-1 Y l' 1-. In a'fcontaet device, a pair oi contact points,means to increase .of Asaid points over the'- other, ing supporte'foi-that point having the greater inert'ima'support for the other ofsaid contact points,v and means to"oseillatc "saidsupports whereby ingthe greaterinertia 'lags'and brings the pomtsinto operat' nt with' eachi of saidpoints overtllxfefotherg'a yielding support oigthatcntaetjff-point .having lthe 30 greate nei-tia u-snpportiforthe other of`saideonta Iandgllansfio oscillate said-` suppe ssnbstaitiallytf'fsimnltamisly vvherebysaid l` f'ntf fliaving the'Ygreater inertia lags' andeomes intol operative engage yment withith`ipther`foisaid contact points `duringtheiroscillation in onedirection. a vcontact device, -aipair of contact ints,means'formoving'lthes'same in sub; stantially one direction 'separatedfrom each other, means to 'reverse the direction' of the movement ofsaid .points,` andrmeans to retard the reverse movement of vone of saidpoints to bring said Contact points into operative engagement with eachother to close theeircuit,A j.,

4." In a -Contact device, i1 contact point, a support therefor, means`t0 oscillate said support, a second contact point, and means to holdsaid pointsbutofvoperative engage-- ment with-each other-'during theirmovevment in one direction and operated by the inertia of said secondpoint to brin said 'points into operative engagement wit other duringtheir movement in the opposite direction.

Y 5.'In a contact device, a pair of contact points, means forsimultaneously moving said points in one direction out of operp ativeengagementwith each other, means to change'thc direction of-,themovcmcnis ci said points'and means 'tfcanseone of said f' intsto respondto said means for changang the 'direction of said points less rapidlyythan the other tebring said points into opirative engagement with eachother.

the inertia of one and a yieldthat contact point hav-r of` contactertia, of onev .allow the said point t'o able when moved in the 6. In aContact device, a pair of contact. points, means for moving the same inone direction out of Contact with each other, and means to reverse themovement of said points and means to cause one of said points to respondto said means to'reverse the movement of said points less rapidly thanthe other to effect an engagement ofsaid points.

T. In a Contact device, a pair of Contact points, means for moving thesame in one direction out of enga ement with each other, means toreverse tie movement of said points, and means to' retard the reversemovement of one of said points to cause an engagement of said points andto 'then separate said points.

8. In a contact device, a 'pair of contact points, means tosimultaneously move both points in substantially one direction and outoi engagement with each other, means to suddenly change the direction ofmovement of said points, and weighted yielding said points to means forsupporting one e he acted upon by than the said reversing means lessrapidi reversing other point is acted upon by sai means E). In acontact. device, a pair of contact points, a stiff support for one ofsaid points1 a support for the other of said points eldg direction osaid stiff support and means to oseiliate said supports in substantialunison.

10. In a Contact device, a pair of contact points, yielding means forsupporting said points, means to -'move both of said contact pointssimultaneously in substantially one direction and out of contact witheach other,

means (o change the direction of the move' ment of said points, andmeans to cause one of said points to move in the changed direction moreslowly than the other of said Contact points to cause an engagement ofsaid points. w

11. In a contact device, a pair of Contact points, one of `which isheavier than the move both of said contact points simultaneously insubstantially the same direction, out of engagementwith each other`means to change the direction of the movement. of said points, theinertia of the heavier of said points causing the same to more in thechanged direction at tiret more slowly than the other to, cause anengagement of said points, andmeans io separate said points. .v

iff. ln a Contact devicera. pair of cor-.tact points, one of seid-pointsfeing Weighted, a yielding support forV said weighted point, means tomove 'ooth of said points in sub-A stantially the same direction out ofengagement with each other, an'dmeans to reverse the'A direction of then'ror'ement of said contact points, whereby said weighted contact 25 iversing I neans'and said weightedpoint.

nuwwee- Contact point to ea-use said points to momentarily engage andthen separate.

14. In a contact device, a pair of contact points, one of said' contactpoints being weighted, a rresilient arm for supporting said weightedContact point, means to move both of-saidcontact points in one directionout of engagement with each other, and means to suddenly reverse themovement of said Contact points.

Ina contact device, a pair` of contact points, one'of said points beingweighted, means toflmove both 4ofsaid points simultaneously, in onedirection out of engagement with each other, means to reverse thedirection of'the movement of said points, and al yielding. connectionbetween said re- `y516.55I`n a'eontacti device, a pair ofcontact.pontsand supports therefor, means to move said"snpportsin'substantiallythe same directionfjandv "then to releasesaid supports fromicsaidymoving means, and aspring to return said supports to their originalposition, the support of one of vsaid. contact pointsl being.lcontrolled by the inertia yof the point mounted thereon to bring-saidpoints into engagement during their return movement.

17. In afcontactdevice a. lifter, a pair of 1 contact pointglsupprtsmounted on said lifter, said supports being yielding in one direction, acontact point on each of said supports, meansst move said lifterrelatively gradually in one direction, and means to suddenly andrelatively rapidly reverse the direction of the movement of the saidlifter, the mass of the contact point in advance of the other contactpoint during the reverse movement of the lifter being greater than thatof the said other contact point whereby thc inertia ot' the contactpoint greater mass operates to bring said co; *act points intoengagement during such reverse movement of the lifter.

18. In a Contact device, a lifter, a. pair o contact point supportsmounted on said. lifter, said supports being yieldable in the samedirection, a contact point on each of said supports, means to move saidlifter relatively slowly in one direction, and means to suddenlv andrelatively rapidly reverse the direction of the movement of said lifter,the weight of the Contact point in advance of the other contact pointdaring the ref verse movement 0f the litter being greater than that ofsaid other contact point whereby the inertia of said heavier contactpoint causes its support to yield in the direction of the other Contactpoint, and to e'ect an operative engagement of said contact points.

19. In a contact device, a contact point, means to oscillate said point,a second contact point, a connection between said second contact pointand said means to vibrate said first contact point and yieldably in adirec tion toward said first contact point` the inertia of said secondcontact point being greater than that of the other contact point, 20. Ina Contact device, a Contact point, a

Support therefor, means to oscillate said support, a second contactpoint, and means. operated by the inertia of said second contact pointto bring said contact'points into operative engagement with each otherdur ing the movement of said firstcontact point in one direction of itsoscillation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this second day ofDecember, 1908.

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT.

Witnesses:

J oHN B. Rnrnnnroao, ALsroN B. MoULroN.

